Data centers typically include multiple cooling units, such as, computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units, arranged to supply cooling airflow to a plurality of servers arranged in rows of racks. The cooling airflow is often supplied through vent tiles distributed at multiple locations on a raised floor. More particularly, the cooling units supply cooling airflow into a plenum formed beneath the raised floor and the cooling airflow is supplied to the servers through the vent tiles.
The cooling units are typically operated to substantially ensure that the temperatures in the servers are maintained within predetermined temperature ranges. That is, to largely prevent the servers from reaching temperature levels at which the servers operate inefficiently or are harmful to the servers, the cooling units are typically operated to supply cooling airflow at lower temperatures and/or at higher volume flow rates than are necessary to maintain the servers within the predetermined temperature ranges. This over-provisioning of cooling resources is inefficient, increases operational costs of the data center, and shortens the life spans of the cooling units.